“Slovenia supports Montenegro’s NATO bid, sure in the knowledge that Montenegro’s accession is positive for both Montenegro and the wider region, as well as for Slovenia, a NATO member state,” Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar told the press conference following a meeting with his Montenegrin counterpart Milo Đukanović, who is paying an officail visit to Ljubljana.

PM Cerar said there were many NATO opponents in Slovenia, but that the government, through an intensive campaign, managed to convince the public and the country confirmed its willingness to enter the Alliance in a referendum.

“I perceive the events in Montenegro in a similar context. The fact that NATO opponents are allowed to publicly criticise NATO accession speaks volume about Montenegro’s democratic capacity,” PM Cerar told the press.

However, in case of violence, the state is obliged to ensure constitutional peace and order, he underlined.

The government of Montenegro is doing good job by informing its citizens about NATOmembership’s benefits, adding that creating conditions for joining NATO means at the same time achieving a larger extent of democracy and the rule of law.